No dream of his wives blessed Blanc's sleep as he woke up a few hours later.
"My Lord," Zoe said, placing the book she was reading on the table, "How was your sleep?"
"Empty, but restful all the same," he replied, sitting up and placing the knife back into its spot without Zoe noticing, "What time is it?"
"Almost time for dinner," she nodded, "Do you want it brought here, or will you be eating with my Lady's family?"
"I will join them for dinner," Blanc yawned, "I hope these few hours of relaxation did you good as well, Zoe, but I will have to ask you to leave for a bit while I change."
"They certainly did," Zoe smiled lightly as she got up, "I will take my leave then, if you need anything, send word for me."
With that, she left the room, allowing Blanc to visit the toilet, change, sip his tea, and enjoy some of the fruit in peace before he was called for dinner.
"My Lord Blanc," Alfred said as he and his wife bowed to the man entering the dining room, a modest space furnished with little more than a table surrounded by chairs, a cabinet full of ceramic cups, and two doors leading in. "Forgive us for not matching the grandeur of a Noble Blood's decor."
"Showing off wealth is as wise as it is foolish, Alfred," Blanc waved it off, "No need to apologize for your preference in decorations at a dining table."
Alfred smiled at his words, "Quite the wise words, my Lord. Please, take a seat."
"Am I the first to arrive?" he asked the two, as he just realized only the three of them were present.
"Your guards requested to eat in their quarters while Olivia went to sleep hours ago," Alfred's wife replied, giggling, "So I am afraid that it will only be the three of us."
"I see," Blanc nodded, "In that case, no need for formal language."
"In that case, please forgive me," the woman replied, heading towards Blanc, before hugging him tightly, "I thank you, Blanc of Noble Blood Denegis. I thank you as a mother for all you did for our daughter. And I thank you as a wife for the opportunity you gave our family. You might just be the best thing the Vita has given us so far."
Guilt surged again in his chest at her kind words and warm embrace.
"Please," Blanc said, taking a step back, breaking the hug, "An alliance together is as much of a gift for me, as I will be away from my loved ones for a fair bit of time, and knowing there are more allies they can depend on for whatever they might need help with, puts me at ease."
"Then you will be happy to hear that we have prepared the letters, and are now awaiting yours," Alfred grinned, "Give me your letters by tomorrow, and by the next day, they should be in the hands of your Noble Blood."
Blanc's eyes opened wide, "Quite the beasts you have in your employment, Alfred."
"I have good friends in even better places, my Lord," Alfred bowed sarcastically, "An advantage that keeps our Rotunda relevant in such times."
"The beasts' speed is important indeed," Blanc agreed, "May they never fail you."
With a nod from Alfred as thanks, they all moved to the table.
The table was round, with Alfred and his wife standing opposite to where Blanc chose to stand.
They sat down just as the maids, including Zoe, and the women Blanc and his companions rescued came into the dining room, food in hand.
Once they set the food down on the table, the women bowed lightly before heading towards the door.
Only Zoe remained for a moment longer before she, too, joined the rest of the women outside the room.
"That was weird," Alfred said, looking at the door the women used to leave. He then turned to look at Blanc, "Did something happen?"
"I am happily married, with no intention of doing things with whoever comes my way, so no, nothing happened," Blanc smiled, a coldness in his smile that sent shivers down Alfred's spine.
"Forgive me," Alfred said.
"Nothing to forgive, Alfred," Blanc smiled, removing the coldness from his face, "She isn't really my cup of tea, besides, one of my wives made it clear that I will lose certain parts of my body if I have too much fun while I am gone."
"That's a woman I can respect," Alfred's wife joined Blanc in laughter, "But forgive me for asking, are you against marrying commoners?"
"Oh no," Blanc shook his head, "One of my wives was a commoner, the same one who threatened me with the blade, to be exact."
"Then, if you are not against commoners, how would a marriage between you and our daughter sound to you?" Alfred asked, as they began eating.
And his wife continued, "She is young, beautiful, and kind enou-"
"Wait," Blanc interrupted the two, "Forgive me for saying this, but you are speaking as if she were cattle, convincing me to buy it. I did not propose our alliance and friendship for marriage, nor to take advantage of you."
"But," Alfred wanted to speak.
"No buts, Alfred," Blanc shook his head, "I am not Blood Elna, and do not plan to use you. All I want is an alliance between you and my Blood, in which we help each other to the possible extent we can both muster. We protect you against Blood Elna for helping us with things that will also be very lucrative to you. An equal exchange, not submission. Marrying your daughter to me would certainly ease your fears and also make Blood Elna go silent for a while, but is this really the best outcome or the most convenient one at this moment?"
The two of them grew silent, not even touching the food they had in front of them.
So Blanc continued, "Listen, I don't deny your daughter's beauty, nor am I offended by the idea. But as you know, I'm already married, and truthfully, I'm not looking to marry again any time soon. That said, I don't reject the possibility of it in the future, if the need truly arises, that is. What both our sides need right now is conversation. Understanding. Go speak with my Blood, with my in-laws, with my wives. See for yourselves who you wish to build ties with. Then, if all goes well between us, we can revisit this idea with everyone present. Because even if I had said yes today… without my wives' consent, I wouldn't have gone through with it."